2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah, Capay Valley, California
Tasting Notes
Our 2017 Petite Sirah possesses an extraordinary deep color and offers up full-bodied flavors rich in plums and dark berried fruit. The nose releases a mix of spices, dark chocolate, caramel, and coffee. Excellent pairings for Petite Syrah would be Ribs, Grilled Hamburgers, Meatloaf, Roasted Pork, Honey Glazed Ham, Chicken with Mole Sauce, Enchilada and grilled beef.
A mild August let us leave the fruit to fully ripen without letting the acid get too high. We harvested on September 25th at a brix of 24.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 100% Petite Sirah
Appellation: Capay Valley, California
Vineyard: Adams-Melendez Family Vineyard
Aged 22 months in neutral American oak
Alcohol: 14.2%
2017 Heather Creek Ranch Syrah, Capay Valley, California
Tasting Notes
Our deeply colored 2017 Syrah has rich tastes of Blackberry and black raspberry fruit, violet and a bit of spice. Syrah provides a perfect pairing for all types of grilled, smoked and roasted meats and poultry. It is often paired with dishes like cassoulet, short ribs, steaks and hamburgers, as well as hard and soft cheeses. An ideal wine as it works well with most foods so can be enjoyed with a very wide range of dishes.
A relatively mild summer enabled us to increase hangtime and bring out the character of the fruit. We harvested on September 11 at a brix of 23.8.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 100% Syrah
Appellation: Capay Valley, California
Vineyard: Adams-Melendez Family Vineyard
Aged 22 months in neutral American oak
Alcohol: 15%
Included in the Box
4-bottles:
2x 2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah, Capay Valley, California
2x 2017 Heather Creek Ranch Syrah, Capay Valley, California
Case:
6x 2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah, Capay Valley, California
6x 2017 Heather Creek Ranch Syrah, Capay Valley, California
It’s taken us a few years, but we are happy to announce our first public wine offerings. We produced our first red wine, a blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah 2013. It was a nice wine, and well received at weddings, graduations, local charity events and family dinners, but we didn’t feel it was ready for prime time. It took several years of a pretty steep learning curve to get to the right combination of cultivation practices and harvesting decisions for us to feel that we are legitimate contenders for your wine dollars.
Wine grapes grown in the Capay Valley Appellation share many characteristics with those grown in the Southern Rhone Valley of France. The Capay Valley has a similar climate, with warm days and mild nights. A moderate amount of cool air comes from the mountains in the evenings, and the open-ended valley also feels some cooling breezes from the Sacramento Delta in the south. Our vineyards are located on the well-drained, sloping valley floor next to Cache Creek, which provides some additional night cooling.
Heather Creek Ranch produces in small batches, dropping about 40% of the fruit, and selecting for uniform ripeness, getting the best possible flavors for each varietal. The varietals were chosen because they shine in our Capay Valley climate.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah and Syrah
4 bottles for $54.99 $13.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $119.99 $10/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Received the bottle on Tuesday (thanks for delaying the delivery, Alice!) and it was hot. Put it in my 64F basement to relax.
Opened before dinner on Wednesday, on PnP it is an inky deep purple; opaque, just like the band. It thickly coats the glass and takes nearly 10s for the legs to form.
The nose is rich with dark fruit; decadent like chocolate cake with raspberry coulis. The palate is muted up front, it evolves to bright raspberry then fades to a thick, coating dried fruit flavor. It has a long finish, full body with a light tannic grip. Flavor profile is all primary; minimal ‘woodsy’ flavor, no spice, herb, etc. It is slightly tart after repeated sips. The provocative nose disappoints on the palate. It was good with roast chicken, which brought out some rounded astringency & acid, like cranberry sauce. My wife found raspberry jam, petrichor and acetone on the nose and light but not overbearing raspberry flavors on the palate. The finish was long, with earthy-mineral flavors and a tang that caused her tongue to prickle. She said it was sour, not exactly tannic. Overall she thought the nose was big but the palate muted, lighter than expected. I put the bottle on the counter, uncorked, overnight.
The next day I found the nose to be mildly plummy, more subdued with a hint of violet. On the palate I found exuberant fruit; ripe blueberries and plums. There is something minerally, like petrichor, and something that is a touch meaty. It tastes like fruit-forward syrah, completely different than yesterday. By day 3 the wine was on the decline. It was richer, darker, rounder on the nose and almost meaty on the palate. The palate and nose have aligned in intensity. It is a little flatter and was overwhelmed by lamb kebabs.
Overall this is a well-made, idiosyncratic Petit Sirah that is quite reduced in its youth. It is exactly as dark but far less tannic than one would expect for the grape (sort of like the Gersing Dolcetto.) It will reward a year in the cellar or an hour in the decanter. Thanks a lot to WCC and Alice for getting the bottle to my door at a time I could receive it (the first time I leave the state in 4 months and now you send me unexpected wine?) and to Heather Creek Ranch for sharing such an interesting expression of the grape. Salut!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah and Syrah - $45 = 27.26%
Heather Creek Ranch 2017 Syrah
Pop ‘n Pour at 64F, deep ruby with a violet edge. The legs take a very long time to form. It is transparent but dark.
The nose has bright raspberry, bubble gum, a hint cranberry and a whiff of effervescence. It is mellow and smooth on the mid palate with medium body, full acidity and minimal tannic grip. It has muted fruit and no secondary or tertiary flavors. It was surprisingly good with Mediterranean Poached Eggs, which brough out brambly flavors. Strange how it was almost transparent on its own but came alive with the tomato sauce laced with peppers, artichokes and olives. My wife found it had a muted nose, with a hint of dried berries. It is slightly effervescent with medium body (fuller than the Petit Sirah, however.) Palate is relatively lean, muted compared to the nose. I left it on the counter, uncorked, overnight.
I put a slight chill on it before pouring on day two. The bubblegum has faded and now the nose is more like raspberry and herbs, like winter savory. The flavor is far more interesting, rounded, more savory with a shimmering acidic brightness. Some richer flavors like cocoa appear on the periphery. It was very good with chicken and lamb kabobs. It really complemented the strong lamb flavors. The food brought out an herbal quality without tasting like tea; smooth plums and rounded tannins.
I did not like this wine on Day 1. It would need a strong decanting to become palatable. Perhaps paradoxically the palate was muted yet the bubblegum on the nose was off-putting. Day 2 was an entirely different story. It was quite good and really went well with a strongly flavored meal. This is an interesting rendition of the varietal. I hesitate to call it well-made, because it is really hard to drink on Day 1 (as opposed to the Petit Sirah) but by Day 2 it is quite good. Perhaps I simply lack imagination. Many thanks to WCC for giving me the opportunity to taste this wine and to Heather Creek Ranch for taking me on an unexpected journey. Salut!
Petit Sirah Summary: Nose is spectacular, rich. Tastes is solid, nothing off. Good on it’s own, and with hamburgers. Seemed to fall off a bit after 24 hours recorked in fridge.
Syrah Summary: Nose mild, hard to discern much. Taste was very good with food. Without food, slight medicinal finish detracts a bit. Was perfectly fine after 24 hours recorked in fridge.
Petit Sirah
Tasters: My wife and I have had several Petit Sirahs and have liked them, but none have bowled us over. So, it isn’t in our list of favorite varietals, but nor is it one we avoid. Happy to give a Petit Sirah a chance. I was kind of shocked at how well that Mendo Blendo (mostly PS) went with a pork chop. I remember glancing back and forth between chop and wine, thinking, how the heck is this so good together?
Nose: If someone told you this was a $60 wine and handed you a glass, after one wif you’d believe them. Could smell this all day. spicy, some vegetable, straw/hay, some sort of methanol (that went very well with everything else). My wife resolved some of the pleasant vegetable to ‘beet’, which I concur. Based on the nose, not having looked anything up, I thought this was a $45 wine I’d be getting on casemates for $18, something like that.
Taste: On sip, I started wondering if the price would be more moderate. Tasted bright, mild tannins, probably on the ‘light’ side for Petit Sirah. Tasted fine on it’s own, and certainly good with hamburgers, but certainly not a ‘premium’, nuanced taste to match the nose. My wife caught dried fruit at first, with spicy licorice on the finish.
Development: After half an hour, we didn’t see much change from PnP. Quite drinkable with hamburgers and we could easily have polished it off for lunch. But with iron discipline I kept two servings for the next day corked in the fridge. The next day, we agreed it was starting to fall off, and wasn’t as good. Based on both initial and 24 hour development, I would suggest this is for consuming now.
Syrah
Tasters: Syrah is clearly my wife’s favorite varietal. For me it’s in my top 5, near the top. So, we drink us some Syrah. I pursue it to keep my wife in the wine lifestyle to which she has become accustomed.
Nose: A distant 2nd to the PS nose, to be sure, though nothing off putting. Just not worth doing it much. I got red fruit, wife got cherry, spice.
Taste: Solid Syrah, though nothing fancy. It was darn good with the beef stroganoff. I mean, dang. (Full disclosure, stroganoff was so good, maybe anything would have been great with it.) When I had a few sips in a row with no food, and after dinner while we pondered it, there was a slightly off-putting medicinal finish. Interesting experiment. I’d do that, then have some stroganoff, take the wine, and there was only pleasant wine taste, no medicinal finish. So, I would say this was a food wine. My wife got cherry, licorice, a bit of woody/earthen.
Development: We didn’t see much change over the first hour it was opened. After 24 hours corked in the fridge, it was just as good. But also, not anything additionally special. My guess is this will be fine for a few years at least. If someone were to tell me that this would develop and open up, that previous vintages got better, I would believe it, but I don’t see anything myself to indicate it will get much better. (I’m not an expert!)
Bottom line
If you want to sit around smelling something all day, the PS would work well for you.
The Syrah might be a food wine in particular, at which it did quite well for us. (Though, we’re Syrah People, so that certainly helped).
Drink the PS that first day methinks, though the Syrah seems to keep well.
Buy it? At this price, if you like these varietals, Yeah, do it. I’m not, because I’m absolutely loaded, wine budget in the Red, and I’m on my 8th week of not getting anything on casemates. (Do I get a pin or something?) This SIWBM run I’m on must continue.
@PatrickKarcher To answer the pork question: yes, PS and pork is the standard pairing. At the Dark & Delicious event probably half of the pairings were pork.
@PatrickKarcher@klezman Nice bit of rattage! I also really like the 2013 Mendo Blendo, and it went surprisingly well with spicy sesame chicken last week. The Mendo Blendo was open and we were making spicy sesame chicken, so I thought I’d give it a try…blew me away how well it went with it…I was expecting it to not be that great as a pairing, so my expectations were low. It actually (surprisingly to me) calmed down the spice, because the chicken and sauce was very spicy without the Mendo Blendo (spice from serrano peppers and sriracha sauce).
If the winery stops by, I’m hoping they can shed some insight into the intention with these wines. When I think of wines produced primarily for weddings and such, and offered by most event venues, I think of low acidity fruit-forward wines (or in the extreme, fruit bombs) with little complexity. I also don’t often see Syrah or PS. So what’s the goal here? Are these more like “wedding wines for winos”?
These were not made as “wedding wines” We are looking to bring out the depth and complexity of both varietals. We made a very small amount of each in 2013 and 2014. That coincided with several family and friends weddings, graduations and anniversaries for which we provided the wine. Both wines have been poured at The annual Taste of Capay and Almond Festival events.
2017 is the first vintage we have released.
@Heathercreek Nice to have the winery around for the offer.
Mind introducing yourself to the forum?
[edit: got this as a whisper from the winery, that I think was meant as an introduction for all]
Sandra Adams, my husband and I own Heather Creek Ranch. Our story is on the heathercreekranch.com website
2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah, Capay Valley, California
Tasting Notes
Specs
2017 Heather Creek Ranch Syrah, Capay Valley, California
Tasting Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$250.96 at Heather Creek Ranch for 6x 2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah, Capay Valley, California, and 6x 2017 Heather Creek Ranch Syrah, Capay Valley, California
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, August 10th - Wednesday, August 12th
Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah and Syrah
4 bottles for $54.99 $13.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $119.99 $10/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah
2017 Heather Creek Ranch Syrah
Specs: Vintage 2007(?)…
Heather Creek Ranch 2017 Petit Sirah
Received the bottle on Tuesday (thanks for delaying the delivery, Alice!) and it was hot. Put it in my 64F basement to relax.
Opened before dinner on Wednesday, on PnP it is an inky deep purple; opaque, just like the band. It thickly coats the glass and takes nearly 10s for the legs to form.
The nose is rich with dark fruit; decadent like chocolate cake with raspberry coulis. The palate is muted up front, it evolves to bright raspberry then fades to a thick, coating dried fruit flavor. It has a long finish, full body with a light tannic grip. Flavor profile is all primary; minimal ‘woodsy’ flavor, no spice, herb, etc. It is slightly tart after repeated sips. The provocative nose disappoints on the palate. It was good with roast chicken, which brought out some rounded astringency & acid, like cranberry sauce. My wife found raspberry jam, petrichor and acetone on the nose and light but not overbearing raspberry flavors on the palate. The finish was long, with earthy-mineral flavors and a tang that caused her tongue to prickle. She said it was sour, not exactly tannic. Overall she thought the nose was big but the palate muted, lighter than expected. I put the bottle on the counter, uncorked, overnight.
The next day I found the nose to be mildly plummy, more subdued with a hint of violet. On the palate I found exuberant fruit; ripe blueberries and plums. There is something minerally, like petrichor, and something that is a touch meaty. It tastes like fruit-forward syrah, completely different than yesterday. By day 3 the wine was on the decline. It was richer, darker, rounder on the nose and almost meaty on the palate. The palate and nose have aligned in intensity. It is a little flatter and was overwhelmed by lamb kebabs.
Overall this is a well-made, idiosyncratic Petit Sirah that is quite reduced in its youth. It is exactly as dark but far less tannic than one would expect for the grape (sort of like the Gersing Dolcetto.) It will reward a year in the cellar or an hour in the decanter. Thanks a lot to WCC and Alice for getting the bottle to my door at a time I could receive it (the first time I leave the state in 4 months and now you send me unexpected wine?) and to Heather Creek Ranch for sharing such an interesting expression of the grape. Salut!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah and Syrah - $45 = 27.26%
Heather Creek Ranch 2017 Syrah
Pop ‘n Pour at 64F, deep ruby with a violet edge. The legs take a very long time to form. It is transparent but dark.
The nose has bright raspberry, bubble gum, a hint cranberry and a whiff of effervescence. It is mellow and smooth on the mid palate with medium body, full acidity and minimal tannic grip. It has muted fruit and no secondary or tertiary flavors. It was surprisingly good with Mediterranean Poached Eggs, which brough out brambly flavors. Strange how it was almost transparent on its own but came alive with the tomato sauce laced with peppers, artichokes and olives. My wife found it had a muted nose, with a hint of dried berries. It is slightly effervescent with medium body (fuller than the Petit Sirah, however.) Palate is relatively lean, muted compared to the nose. I left it on the counter, uncorked, overnight.
I put a slight chill on it before pouring on day two. The bubblegum has faded and now the nose is more like raspberry and herbs, like winter savory. The flavor is far more interesting, rounded, more savory with a shimmering acidic brightness. Some richer flavors like cocoa appear on the periphery. It was very good with chicken and lamb kabobs. It really complemented the strong lamb flavors. The food brought out an herbal quality without tasting like tea; smooth plums and rounded tannins.
I did not like this wine on Day 1. It would need a strong decanting to become palatable. Perhaps paradoxically the palate was muted yet the bubblegum on the nose was off-putting. Day 2 was an entirely different story. It was quite good and really went well with a strongly flavored meal. This is an interesting rendition of the varietal. I hesitate to call it well-made, because it is really hard to drink on Day 1 (as opposed to the Petit Sirah) but by Day 2 it is quite good. Perhaps I simply lack imagination. Many thanks to WCC for giving me the opportunity to taste this wine and to Heather Creek Ranch for taking me on an unexpected journey. Salut!
Heather Creek Ranch Syrah and Petit Sirah
Petit Sirah Summary: Nose is spectacular, rich. Tastes is solid, nothing off. Good on it’s own, and with hamburgers. Seemed to fall off a bit after 24 hours recorked in fridge.
Syrah Summary: Nose mild, hard to discern much. Taste was very good with food. Without food, slight medicinal finish detracts a bit. Was perfectly fine after 24 hours recorked in fridge.
Petit Sirah
Tasters: My wife and I have had several Petit Sirahs and have liked them, but none have bowled us over. So, it isn’t in our list of favorite varietals, but nor is it one we avoid. Happy to give a Petit Sirah a chance. I was kind of shocked at how well that Mendo Blendo (mostly PS) went with a pork chop. I remember glancing back and forth between chop and wine, thinking, how the heck is this so good together?
Nose: If someone told you this was a $60 wine and handed you a glass, after one wif you’d believe them. Could smell this all day. spicy, some vegetable, straw/hay, some sort of methanol (that went very well with everything else). My wife resolved some of the pleasant vegetable to ‘beet’, which I concur. Based on the nose, not having looked anything up, I thought this was a $45 wine I’d be getting on casemates for $18, something like that.
Taste: On sip, I started wondering if the price would be more moderate. Tasted bright, mild tannins, probably on the ‘light’ side for Petit Sirah. Tasted fine on it’s own, and certainly good with hamburgers, but certainly not a ‘premium’, nuanced taste to match the nose. My wife caught dried fruit at first, with spicy licorice on the finish.
Development: After half an hour, we didn’t see much change from PnP. Quite drinkable with hamburgers and we could easily have polished it off for lunch. But with iron discipline I kept two servings for the next day corked in the fridge. The next day, we agreed it was starting to fall off, and wasn’t as good. Based on both initial and 24 hour development, I would suggest this is for consuming now.
Syrah
Tasters: Syrah is clearly my wife’s favorite varietal. For me it’s in my top 5, near the top. So, we drink us some Syrah. I pursue it to keep my wife in the wine lifestyle to which she has become accustomed.
Nose: A distant 2nd to the PS nose, to be sure, though nothing off putting. Just not worth doing it much. I got red fruit, wife got cherry, spice.
Taste: Solid Syrah, though nothing fancy. It was darn good with the beef stroganoff. I mean, dang. (Full disclosure, stroganoff was so good, maybe anything would have been great with it.) When I had a few sips in a row with no food, and after dinner while we pondered it, there was a slightly off-putting medicinal finish. Interesting experiment. I’d do that, then have some stroganoff, take the wine, and there was only pleasant wine taste, no medicinal finish. So, I would say this was a food wine. My wife got cherry, licorice, a bit of woody/earthen.
Development: We didn’t see much change over the first hour it was opened. After 24 hours corked in the fridge, it was just as good. But also, not anything additionally special. My guess is this will be fine for a few years at least. If someone were to tell me that this would develop and open up, that previous vintages got better, I would believe it, but I don’t see anything myself to indicate it will get much better. (I’m not an expert!)
Bottom line
@PatrickKarcher To answer the pork question: yes, PS and pork is the standard pairing. At the Dark & Delicious event probably half of the pairings were pork.
@PatrickKarcher @klezman Nice bit of rattage! I also really like the 2013 Mendo Blendo, and it went surprisingly well with spicy sesame chicken last week. The Mendo Blendo was open and we were making spicy sesame chicken, so I thought I’d give it a try…blew me away how well it went with it…I was expecting it to not be that great as a pairing, so my expectations were low. It actually (surprisingly to me) calmed down the spice, because the chicken and sauce was very spicy without the Mendo Blendo (spice from serrano peppers and sriracha sauce).
So, Capay Valley. Had to look it up, never heard of I don’t believe. Up over the other side of Lake Berryessa a bit? Any insight?
@kaolis You probably saw this, but for everybody else: http://www.everyvine.com/wine-regions/region/Capay_Valley/
Looks like it’s just over another ridge from Howell Mountain and Clear Lake. Definitely warmer over there than Napa and southern Lake County.
@kaolis @klezman
In general the Capay Valley is warmer. These vines slope down to Cache Creek and get some cooling effect.
If the winery stops by, I’m hoping they can shed some insight into the intention with these wines. When I think of wines produced primarily for weddings and such, and offered by most event venues, I think of low acidity fruit-forward wines (or in the extreme, fruit bombs) with little complexity. I also don’t often see Syrah or PS. So what’s the goal here? Are these more like “wedding wines for winos”?
These were not made as “wedding wines” We are looking to bring out the depth and complexity of both varietals. We made a very small amount of each in 2013 and 2014. That coincided with several family and friends weddings, graduations and anniversaries for which we provided the wine. Both wines have been poured at The annual Taste of Capay and Almond Festival events.
2017 is the first vintage we have released.
@Heathercreek Thread drift…notice you do an olive oil…good stuff? Also appears currently sold out? Always looking for something new to try
@Heathercreek Nice to have the winery around for the offer.
Mind introducing yourself to the forum?
[edit: got this as a whisper from the winery, that I think was meant as an introduction for all]
@kaolis The olive oil is wonderful. We like the fruit a little riper so there is no bitterness. We do sell out quickly.
@Heathercreek Oh, I get it! I misunderstood the verbiage on the main offer page.
Just paired the Petite with a Grilled peach, prosciutto, goat cheese, spiced nut salad. Really worked with the sweet/salt slightly bitter greens.
@OnionSoup totally did it.
You had me at Petite Sirah …
/giphy narcissistic-bad-pixie
Love the wine
Very dry corks
@conesville
Nobody soaked them?